Science · October 2026 · 8 min

Hyaluronic Acid vs Glycerin, Honestly: Which Hydrates Better, and Why Yours Might Feel Dry

Hyaluronic acid and glycerin do the same job: both draw water into the outer layer of your skin. Glycerin has the stronger and older evidence. Hyaluronic acid works too, but its trials are small, and we found no study that compares the two directly. Most skin does best with both, under a moisturiser.

Solevia Double Hydration Boost Gel + HA, a clear 30 ml glass pump bottle with a grey label, next to its grey box on a light grey background

The short version for shoppers: if you want a light, alcohol-free gel that uses both, start with our Double Hydration Boost Gel + HA (€45.60). If you already have a cream you like and want something under it, the Hydrating Serum (€46.80). If fragrance bothers your skin, the Sensitive Skin Moisturiser (€58.80), which lists glycerin second. The rest of this guide explains why.

Hyaluronic acid vs glycerin: which is better?

Glycerin, if you have to choose one. It has the stronger and older evidence, including for repairing a damaged skin barrier. Hyaluronic acid also draws water into the skin, but its trials are smaller and mostly industry-run, and no study has compared the two directly. They are not rivals, though: they work well together, and both need a moisturiser on top to keep the water in.

The evidence at a glance

	Glycerin	Hyaluronic acid
What it does	Draws water into the outer layer of skin	Draws water into the outer layer of skin
Strongest evidence	Faster barrier repair and more hydration after damage	More hydration in small trials, one without a comparison group
Head-to-head trial	None found	None found
In our products	Always listed higher, so present in a larger amount	Low in the list, a supporting ingredient

What a humectant does, and why it needs a lid

Moisturisers combine three kinds of ingredient. Humectants, such as glycerin and hyaluronic acid, draw water into the outer layer of the skin and hold it there. Emollients fill the gaps between skin cells, so the surface feels softer. Occlusives form a film on top that slows water evaporating out of the skin.

A humectant on its own pulls water in, but nothing stops that water from leaving again. That is why a hydrating serum or gel is meant to go under a moisturiser, or why a good moisturiser contains all three kinds of ingredient at once.

Is glycerin good for your skin?

Yes. Glycerin, also called glycerol, has been used in skin preparations for a long time, and the skin makes some of its own. In two experiments on volunteers whose skin barrier had been damaged, either by stripping it with tape or by washing it repeatedly with a detergent (sodium lauryl sulphate), the areas treated with glycerol repaired their barrier faster and held more water than untreated areas. Our skin barrier guide covers what else helps a damaged barrier.

A 2008 review of glycerol and the skin lists improved hydration, barrier function and suppleness, protection against irritants, and benefits in dry and atopic skin. It also notes that glycerol's hydrating effect matters most in conditions made worse by dry and cold weather.

Sodium hyaluronate vs hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid: what the labels mean

Hyaluronic acid occurs naturally in skin. On an ingredient list it usually appears as sodium hyaluronate, a salt form, or hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid, which has been broken into smaller pieces. Size matters: larger molecules stay on the surface, and smaller ones are thought to reach further into the outer layer, although the clinical evidence for that is still limited.

You will often read that hyaluronic acid holds 1,000 times its weight in water. We could not find the original study behind that figure, so we do not repeat it as a fact.

What the hyaluronic acid studies show

The best-known study gave 40 women aged 30 to 65 with sun-damaged skin a hyaluronic acid serum to use twice a day with sunscreen. Skin hydration rose 134% straight after applying it and was still 55% higher after six weeks, and a dermatologist rated smoothness and fine lines as improved. There was no comparison group, though: everyone used the serum, so some of the change may have come from the routine itself. Three of the five authors worked for Colgate-Palmolive.

A smaller, better-designed trial treated three patches on the legs of 36 nursing-home residents aged 60 to 80 with dry skin, for four weeks: a lotion with small hyaluronic acid molecules, one with large molecules, and one with none. The small-molecule lotion raised skin hydration more than the other two. None of the three changed how much water the skin lost, or the dryness symptoms the researchers scored.

Does hyaluronic acid dry out your skin?

This is the most repeated worry: in dry air, a humectant might pull water up from deeper in the skin instead of from the air, and leave the surface feeling tight. It is a plausible idea, but we found no study showing it happening with skincare.

What has been tested points the other way. In a room kept at 30% humidity, a fluid with 1% hyaluronic acid and 5% glycerin left forearm skin more hydrated than untreated skin 1, 8 and 24 hours after a single application (+59%, +48% and +29%). It was a small study of 20 women, and its lead author worked in industry, but it is the closest thing to a test of the dry-air question.

If hyaluronic acid does leave your skin feeling tight, the fix is the same as for any humectant: apply it to slightly damp skin and seal it with a cream. On cold, dry days, a richer cream or a few drops of face oil on top helps keep the water in.

How to use hyaluronic acid and glycerin: damp or dry skin?

Apply a hydrating gel or serum to clean, slightly damp skin rather than completely dry skin.
Follow with a moisturiser, or use a moisturiser that already contains both, so the water stays in.
In the morning, finish with sunscreen.
Both layer with almost anything, including niacinamide, vitamin C and exfoliating acids.

What is in ours

In all 21 of our products that contain hyaluronic acid, glycerin comes higher in the ingredient list. EU law lists ingredients in descending order of weight, with those under 1% allowed in any order at the end. In the three products below, glycerin is in the top four and hyaluronic acid near the end, so they contain more glycerin than hyaluronic acid. We think that is the right way round: glycerin is the better-studied humectant, and hyaluronic acid works alongside it.

Our hydrators, compared

Product	What it is	Glycerin and HA in the list	Price
Double Hydration Boost Gel + HA	Light aloe gel, alcohol-free, with glycerin, sodium PCA and two forms of HA	Glycerin 4th; HA 13th and 15th	€45.60
Hydrating Serum	Serum with aloe, jojoba oil and rose water	Glycerin 3rd; HA 20th and 21st	€46.80
Sensitive Skin Moisturiser	Fragrance-free cream with aloe and jojoba oil	Glycerin 2nd; HA 18th and 23rd	€58.80

One honest note: the gel and the serum both contain fragrance, and the serum also lists the fragrance allergens limonene, geraniol, coumarin and linalool. If fragrance bothers your skin, choose the Sensitive Skin Moisturiser; our guide to fragrance in skincare explains what to look for.

Which one to buy:

You like a light gel, or dislike the feel of cream: the Double Hydration Boost Gel + HA, €45.60. Use it on its own or under your cream.
You already have a moisturiser you like: the Hydrating Serum, €46.80, underneath it.
Fragrance bothers your skin: the Sensitive Skin Moisturiser, €58.80, as your one step.

The gel and the serum together come to €92.40, and the Sensitive Skin Moisturiser alone is €58.80, so either choice qualifies for free shipping over €50. Unopened products can be returned within 14 days with the return postage on us.

Questions we get asked

Is glycerin better than hyaluronic acid?: It has the stronger evidence, especially for repairing the skin barrier, but no study has compared the two head to head. Many moisturisers combine them; ours always list glycerin higher.
Should I apply hyaluronic acid to damp or dry skin?: We suggest slightly damp skin, followed by a moisturiser to keep the water in. If it feels tight on dry skin, damp skin and a cream on top usually solve it.
Does hyaluronic acid work in dry climates?: We found no study showing that it dries skin out in dry air. In one study at 30% humidity, a fluid with hyaluronic acid and glycerin still increased hydration 24 hours later. If your skin feels tight, add a richer cream on top.
What is the difference between sodium hyaluronate and hyaluronic acid?: Sodium hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. Hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid has been broken into smaller pieces, which are thought to reach further into the outer layer of skin, although the clinical evidence for that is still limited.
Can you use hyaluronic acid and glycerin together?: Yes, and many moisturisers combine them. All 21 of our products with hyaluronic acid also contain glycerin.
Which is better for dry skin, hyaluronic acid or glycerin?: Glycerin has the stronger evidence for dry and damaged skin: it speeds up barrier repair, and a 2008 review notes that its hydrating effect matters most in dry and cold weather. In a small trial in older adults with dry skin, a lotion with small hyaluronic acid molecules raised hydration too. Using both under a richer cream is a sensible choice.
Which is better for oily skin, hyaluronic acid or glycerin?: Either. Both hydrate without adding oil. If you dislike the feel of cream, a light gel that contains both is an easy way to use them.
Why does hyaluronic acid make my skin feel dry?: Most likely because nothing on top keeps the water in, or because the air is very dry. We found no study that proves either, but the fix is simple: apply it to slightly damp skin and follow with a moisturiser.

Where to start

If your skin feels tight or dull, start with the Double Hydration Boost Gel + HA on slightly damp skin, with your usual cream on top. Our hydration edit has the rest of the range.